Water skiing is a popular activity both at the recreational and tournament levels. As is well known, the outboard or inboard motors of ski boats produce a wake which extends rearwardly from the stern of the boat for a number of feet. The skier grasps a ski rope attached to a pylon mounted to the boat and typically maneuvers in a side-to-side direction, back and forth across the wake, during a skiing run. The extent of side-to-side movement of the skier can vary significantly depending on the length of the ski rope, the skill of the skier, the type of activities being performed during a ski run and the like.
Many individuals have found it desirable to record their ski runs or those of others on video. Typically, a video camera or other video recording device is mounted in a fixed position to some part of the ski boat facing in a direction toward the stern of the boat. A wide angle lens is generally used in an attempt to maintain the skier in the frame of the video recording device as he or she maneuvers in the side-to-side direction. Very often the skier is visible for only part of the ski run, particularly when a longer ski rope is used. Alternatively, an individual located in the ski boat may attempt to record the ski run by manipulating the video recording device manually. The quality of the resulting video is completely dependent on the skill of the individual, and his or her ability to consistently maintain the skier centered in the frame of the video recording device.